WA electric only lakes: Can't even have your gas motor on the boat?

[krusty]

Hell....throw in the fact that there's the enforcement officer's personal interpretation of applicable regulatory intent and citation discretion further complicates the situation.

 

[Josh]

Some of the confusion lies in just what action a specific authority controls. WDFW does not control navigation. WDFW controls fishing. So WDFW may have a regulation that specifies one may not fish from a boat equipped with a motor even if motors are allowed on that water body for navigation by the county. Ergo, Lone Lake and its motor restriction for fishing, but you can have a motor for water skiing on that same lake. So you need to check WDFW regulations to see if motors are allowed for fishing and whichever authority manages the lake for navigation restrictions on motors.

Ahhhh, that makes sense. Well, I don't know if it actually makes "sense", but it at least is understandable.

 

[skyriver]

Josh,
Eat your Wheaties and take the damn motor off. 9.9 should be in your weight class.

I have a 25 on my boat and would love to just keep it up out of the water, but nearly 100% of the lakes that WDFW says no motors or elecric only means just that...can't have a motor on the boat. Some of these are because the lakes are small, but many are because they are sensitive and should not have gas motors even close to the water.

I still take my 25 off, but less and less lately. It's friggin heavy. I usually just take the Commader or the Striker.

Having said this...I've never seen anyone get busted unless they were under power. Heard a story of a guy getting busted for just having it in the water, but not running it. He did have the gas can in the boat so whether he forgot or was trying to be sneaky, enforcement doesn't have much of a choice in that case. I'm in favor of busting somebody like that since there's always 1 too many asshats that do run the motor.

I have a buddy that has an electric outboard. Pretty sick actually. I'm sure the authorities will eventually have to figure that one out.

Cheers,
Stacy